2014 Team Overview

Editor’s note: The following is part of the comprehensive Season Preview Breakdown that can be found here, in pdf form. Follow @MGN_Breakdown for more stuff from Greg and @meangreennation for more MGN.

Last year culminated in a glorious celebration on the hallowed ground of the Cotton Bowl in Dallas for the Mean Green. It was a final step for a senior class destined and determined to get the University of North Texas back to a bowl game and winning season. It was a great time for all UNT players, students, alumni, and fans. It was a moment of pure satisfaction for a fan base that has suffered so much in recent years. There was no talk of a new head coach, or being ranked on ESPN’s Bottom 10. No, that was all replaced with how highly North Texas will be ranked. The positivity carried on into National Signing Day, where the Mean Green landed a recruiting class loaded with playmakers. All of sudden NT was getting noticed. It was a dream ending to a great season. A lot of great individuals came together to form a tremendous team. The task at hand is carrying on the success of last year. Reload not rebuild.

North Texas will try to reload for its 2014 campaign with a team that is short on experience, but not talent. Head Coach Dan McCarney has laid a rock solid foundation to begin the reloading process. Ever since his arrival on campus, there has been a different feeling about his Mean Green teams. No longer is UNT relying heavily on Junior College transfers to fill voids. Now UNT is focused on replacing lost leaders and production with freshman and sophomores who have had to earn their way. These young fledglings have been working hard under the UNT strength and conditioning program with the hope that they can replace the production of last year. It will be no easy task, but there is a ton of optimism surrounding the program that the young guys can step up and write their own UNT history.

Major Question

There are many story lines for the 2014 Mean Green, but perhaps the biggest one is who will replace 2013 starting quarterback Derek Thompson. Thompson was a 3-year starter and a vital leader. The QB race will be intense during fall camp. The battle will be between JR Andrew McNulty, JUCO transfer Josh Greer, and redshirt FR Dajon Williams. All three guys have flashed an ability to be the starter, but none have been consistent enough. McNulty is a tough, gritty QB. He’s athletic enough to scramble around and make plays but he lacks elite arm strength. Josh Greer has tremendous arm strength, but his pocket-awareness needs work. Dajon Williams has all the tools, but needs to prove he is mature and consistent enough to lead this team. One thing UNT can’t do is wait too long to determine who will win the job because that player will need all the repititions they can get in order to prepare for week-one opponent Texas.

The Contenders

# 5 Andrew McNulty 6’1 210 JR

• Leader
• Veteran of the System
• Quickest Decisions
• Lacks Ideal Arm Strength
• Limited Game Experience

#8 Josh Greer 6’5 220 SO

• Great Arm Strength
• Pro Style QB
• Most Game Experience
• Needs to Improve Pocket Awareness

# 6 Dajon Williams 6–3 RS FR

• Smooth Athlete
• Great Touch
• Biggest Upside
• Needs to add Bulk
• Needs to Improve Consistency & Maturity